The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-08-26

the large eyes were again sparkling with
pleasure. The rich color returned to the
cheeks, and the fair creature was again
sailing on the sea of merriment. She had
regained her ellie and gaiety. The hus-
band drew a sigh of relief when he saw
that he had revived her without attracting
attention. His wife was witty as ever and
she drank copious draughts Of wine, appar-
emily utterly impervious TO its effects.
The explanation vouchsafed to me later
in the evening was hardly necessary. The
lady was a slave TO the morphine habit. 1t
was first acquired when the drug was pre-
scribed in sickness. The taste for NOR
plIine thus developed, the lady for a long
time supplied herself secretly from her hus-
bands medical laboratory. He discovered
it too late to check her desire for the drug.
lie tried to shut off the source of her sup
plies, but she outwitted him by %patronizing
pharmacies in New York. tIt's nc use"
he said bitterly. '"The habit is confirmed.
and death alone viii stop it,"
Every drug store in the city is patronized
more or less by the victims Of morphine.
When the habit becomes settled, the weak
mortal grows crafty and artful. The drug
is obtained at pharmacists far away from
his residence. He places the powder on
the palm of his hand, and laps it secretly.
A drug store on Hudson street has two reg
ular customers. Both come from above
Fiftleth street, the buyers fancying that
they are entirely unknown. The morphine
is put up in what are known among drug
gists as "drachm walls Each vial con-
tains sixty grains. One of the Hudson
street customers consumes two of these
walls a week. They are always labelled
poison The law limits sales 80 these
walls. Any one taking the contents of two
walls a week is totally unfit for work. It
takes two or three years for the habit to
become chronic. After that cure is utter
ly impossible. The cost of a vial is sixty
five cents. Nothing exhilarates the mind
and body like morphine. Liquor thickens
the utterance and Supplies the brain. Nor
phine, on the contrary, frees the tongue
and makes its accent as distinct as the
notes of a well-played banjo. 1t makes
the brain bright but insouciant. A veto
ran morphine eater is proof against stimuli
lants. Whisky and brandy do not intoxi-
cate him. He defies all drunkenness except
the intoxication produced by the drug.
His muscles gradually become filled with
the poison. Frequently pins and needles
can be thrust into the flesh without pro-
ducing any pain. When thoroughly satu-
rated with morphine, the victim either dies
or attains an extraordinary size. No mat
ter how thin he may be, he begins to grow
fat and in some eases is said to die of suffo-
cation. The mind is usually shattered in
advance of the body.
These few facts | have learned from a
druggist who in a lifetime has known many
victims. He says that the fate of the NOR
phine slave, however, is not more shocking
than that of the confirmed takers of chlor-
oform. The taste for this anesthetic is
becoming as great as that for morphine.
Dissipation and nervous tension both pro-
duce sleepless nights. To woo sleep chlor-
oform is used. Hundreds in our large
cities" said the druggist, 'saturate nap
kins and handkerchiefs with chloroform at
night and fall asleep in breathing the
fumes. The habit produces a palpitation
of the heart, and in time the victim is sure
to be found dead in bed"
While | was conversing with the drug
gist a handsome yonng woman came in
| with a prescription. She seemed downcast
and melancholy, but quickly frightened
| up when the prescription was filled. As
| she passed out with a hasty step the pro
| prietor tossed me the memorandum at
is for morphine" he said, and it is I'M
doubtedly a bogus prescription. But the
| poor girl is happy by this time" There
are probably 1 200 drug stores in this city.
On an average each one sells a drachm vial
| of morphine a day. This would indicate
at least !, 1000 habitual morphine takers in
New York alone. Nearly 1000 of these
are women. Druggists will agree that this
estimate is rather under than over reality.
Place chloroform in the same crucible. and
we have 5000 miserable beings travelling
the road to an insane death.-A. H. Cum
piagS. IN ". \. Letter.